Best After-School Activities For Families In The Bay Area

Indian Rock Park in the Berkeley hills is one of the Bay Area's hidden gems and is perfect for a free, short, and scenic family outing. The highlight of this small one acre park is a climb to the top of Indian Rock where visitors are rewarded with views of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. There are steps carved into the hill to make the hike easier, but rock climbing shoes are a good idea. If you want to catch an after-school sunset, come early to stake out a spot because this can be a popular place if it's not too windy.

Their motto is "We Give Flight To The Flightless" and this trampoline park lets young and old get airborne always with a soft landing. Located by Chrissy Field (with a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge), House of Air offers open trampoline jump time for kids to work off that excess energy and adults to bounce away their post-work frustrations. They are open most nights until 9 p.m. Tuesdays are usually reserved for games of trampoline dodgeball, with both kids and adult leagues available.

Situated on over 170 acres in San Jose, Kelley Park has shade trees and attractive lawn areas where families can enjoy a barbecue or picnic after school. Admission to the park itself is free, but there is a parking fee unless you can find a spot on surrounding streets. In addition to this beautiful park, families can enjoy visiting a number of other places on the site including the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, a tranquil Japanese Friendship Garden, and a historic replica of downtown San Jose in a nearby outdoor venue. And if the timing is right, families can walk across Senter Road to Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants minor league baseball team.

Drive-in movie theaters are nearly all gone now, but fortunately the Bay Area offers families a place to experience this unique part of American culture. West Wind is a family-owned business since 1952 that has been gradually re-opening closed drive-in theaters throughout the western U.S., including one in Concord. There's a snack bar, playground, and arcade for kids. First-run movies are digitally projected on a huge, crystal-clear screen and the sound is beamed directly to the car stereo as you watch the latest release in the comfort and privacy of your own automobile.

Most of us are novices when it comes to archery, so a visit to Fat Shafts Archery is a great way for the entire family to learn a skill that goes back 5000 years in civilization. The act of pulling a bow back and letting the arrow fly will work arm muscles you never knew you had, so an hour of target practice is probably the right amount. Fat Shafts is open during the week until 8 p.m. and is run by a father and son who have three decades of experience in the archery business. Lessons are available and there is even a service and repair shop at this popular indoor range.